Improvement in automatic boiler-feeders



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

G. A. RIEDEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,096, dated July 3,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. ADoLPH BTEDEL, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,have invented al1 Improvement in Automatic Boiler-Feeders and I dohereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference beinghad to the accom pan yin g drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of certain improvements, fully describedhereinafter, in the automatic feed apparatus for which Letters Patentwere granted to me on the 19th day of September, 1865.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and apply myinvention, I will now proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspeciiication, Figure lis a sectional elevation of my improved automaticboiler-feeder; Fig. 2, a sectional plan on the line l 2, Fig. l; Fig. 3,a section on the line 3 4, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section on the line 5 6,Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 5 a plan viewot' part ofthe apparatus.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out the several views.

W'ithin a casing or chest, A, are two valves, B B', each of which has acylindricalstem, c, and a conical head, b, adapted to a seat in thechamber X, in the center of the chest.

In the valve B are two parallel channels, c o', the channel ccommunicating with ports, e e', and e2 inthe head b, and the channel ccommunicating with similar ports f, j", and f2 in the same head. (SeeFigs. l and 2.)

In the stem of the valve B' are channels d d', the former communicatingwith ports h, h', and hz in the head b of the valve, and the latter withsimilar ports g, g', andgz in the same head.

To the end of the stem of the valve B are connected two curved pipes, DD', the pipe D communicating with the channel c and the pipe D' with thechannel c', and to the stem of the valve B are connected two4 pipes, Eand E', the former communicating with the channel d, and the latter withthe channel el'.

The ends of the pipes D and E project through the bottom of a metalcasing or reservoir, F, and the pipes D' E' project through the bottomof a similar casing or reservoir, F', the pipes D and D' extendingnearly to the top of their respective reservoirs, while neither of thepipes E or E extend above the dotted lines y, Fig. l.

In the top of each reservoir is a stop-valve,4

the latter being hinged at the lower end to vany stationary object, andbeing furnished with a valve, la, for closing or exposing the openmg z.

In the case A are openings m m', n. n', o o', and p, with whichcommunicate pipes K, L L', M M', O, and P.

The pipes L L' communicate with a pipe, L2, which extends into a tank,Q, Fig. 3, and the pipes M M communicate with a pipe M2, which alsoextends into the tank, and is bent `upward, so that its end shallproject a short distance into wthe pipe L2, the end of the pipe 'M2being reduced in diameter, so that there shall be an annular spacebetween it and the pipe L2.

As the valves B B', pipes D D', E E', and the reservoirs F F' areconnected together, the elevation or depression ot' either of thereservoirs will cause the said valves to turn in one direction or theother in the chest A, which is stationary, and this movement of thevalves is so restricted that when the reservoirs are at the limit oftheir movement in either direction one oi' the ports, e' or f', will bein communication with the opening p, and one of the ports, g or h, willbe in communication with the opening m.

When the reservoir F' is depressed and the -m m a', as shown in Figs. land 4. When the reservoir F is elevated the ports j'Z and e willcommunicate with the openings o and p, while -the ports g h g2 willcommunicate with the openings m m n.

The tank Q is maintained nearly full ot' water the valve C of thereservoir Fis opened, when the water in the tank Q will ow through thepipe K, port m, opening h,'and channel din the valve B', and through thepipe E into the reservoir F until the latter is iilled nearly to the topof the pipe D, after which the valve C is closed. When the weight of thewater in the reservoir F, in the first instance, overcomes the combinedweight of the reservoir F' and the weight H, the reservoir F willdescend and the reservoir F' will rise, the tendency of the tworeservoirs being to balance each other. The momentum acquired by thedescending reservoir F, however, is sufficient to carry it a shortdistance below the reservoir F', when the weight H will slide toward thelowest reservoir, and will cause the latter to descend to the limit ofits downward motion. The water now flows into the port g, (which isopposite the opening m,) and through the channel d' and pipe E', intothe elevated reservoir F', while the steam passes from the pipe O,through the port c', channel c, and pipe D, into the reservoir F, andthe water in the latter flows through the pipe E, opening d, port lo',opening m', and pipe P into the boiler. So long as there is any water inthe reservoir F its weight, with that of the ball H, will maintain it inits depressed position. When, however, the water has all passed to theboiler and the reservoir F' is lled, the weight of the water in thelatter will cause it to descend.'

'its downward motion. The steam will now pass through the portf, channelc', and pipe D into the reservoir F', and the water in the latter williiow through the tube E', channel d', port g', opening m', and pipe P tothe boiler.

As the reservoir F' reaches the limit of its downward movement the porte2 will be brought opposite the opening` o', and the steam in thereservoir F will iiow through the pipe D, opening c, port e2, openingo', and pipes M' and M2, and will pass from the latter in a jet into thepipe L2.

As the jet' of steam passes into the pipe L2 it carries vwith it aportion of water from the tank Q, and forces it through the pipe L,opening a', port h2, channel cl, and tube E into the reservoir F, thejet of cool water thus injected into the reservoir condensing the steamin the latter and causing a partial vacuum, which assists the immediateiiow of water into the reservoir, the water passing through the port Asthe reservoir Fis raised the valve 7c opens and permits the air to iiowfreely into the cylinder J. When the reservoir descends, however, theair in the cylinder, which can only escape through the limited spacebetweenv the cylinder and the plunger, acts as a very gentle cushion,and prevents the motion of the reservoir from being arrested so suddenlyas to jar or strain any of the parts of the machine. This cushionarrangement should be used in connection with both reservoirs. l

In place of a cylinder and plunger used with each reservoir, a singlecylinder with an ordinary piston and piston-rodmay be employed, twoopenings provided with valves being made in the cylinder', so as togently retard the motion of the piston in either direction.

The above-described apparatus will continue to operate automatically lsolong as the water in the boiler is below its proper level. When,

however, the water rises above this line andv closes the end of the pipeO, the water in the reservoir destined to replenish the boiler isprevented from esca-ping and is retained until, on the decrease of the.water in the boiler, the end of the pipe is exposed to steam only. Itwill be seen, therefore, without further description,that the water in'the boiler controls the movement of the apparatus, which tends tomaintain that water at a uniform level.

It will be evident to those familiar with the construction and operationof mechanism of this class that the form and arrangement of thereservoirs and communicating-pipes may be modified wit-hout departingfrom the main features of my invention, and that valves and portsdiffering from those described may be used iu connection with thereservoirs for accomplishing the object described above.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The tworeservoirs F and F', in combination with a chest, A, valves B and B',and ports, pipes, and passages, substantially as described, the wholebeing applied to a steamboiler, an d/operating substantially as setforth.

2. In combination with the two vibrating reservoirs, the weight H, soarranged and operating as to prevent the tendency of one reservoir tobalance the other.

3. The arrangement, substantially as described, of the tank Q and theinjector, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin thepresence of `two subscribing witnesses.

G. ADOLPH RIEDEL.

Witnesses CHARLES E. FOSTER, J oHN WHITE.

